One Year After Cllr. Brumskine’s Passing, We Renew Our Condolence to His Family and Party With Plea to Uphold His Legacy

EDITORIAL

THE PEOPLE OF Liberia who followed Liberia’s political and legal history are still grappling with the void that the death of Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine has created. Supporters and opponents of this legendary jurist and ace politician might be divided on some other aspects of his deportment. But, certainly, all are unanimous on the fact that he was highly principled. Charles Walker Brumskine never played subservience to get favor and support, nor was he hypocritical. He spoke truth to power, not just fiercely and uncompromisingly; he did so with respect and humility.

TODAY, NOVEMBER 20, his family, loved ones, supporters and admirers are observing the first year anniversary of his passing; many are doing so torn by grief and determination to fight for the full realization dreams he could not fulfill and the legacy he left behind. He fought vociferously for Liberia. He wanted Liberia transformed into an oasis of justice, peace, development and equality. He took personal risks to see Mother Liberia do better amongst the comity of nations. While it is true he did not achieve one of his biggest dreams, attaining the gavel of authority to preside over the nation as the President, something he strongly desired and fought for, the late Brumskine however laid the cornerstones of a better Liberia in many ways. And, for this, history will remain kind to him. His name shall remain in the annals of history as one who fought a good fight and did so above the fray of deceits, sycophancy and corruption which permeate the society.

Indeed, this day cannot come to pass without The Analyst joining other neutral and experienced commentators and pundits of Liberia’s current events and history to say, “Never Mind” to the family of the fallen statesman. To Estelle Brumskine, his wife, Charlyne Brumskine, his daughter and two boys—Walker Brumskine and Charles Brumskine, Jr.—we say may the Lord of Host wipe your tears, console you and give you strength and better days. We also extend our heartfelt sympathies to members and officials of the Liberty Party, a political institution that the late Brumskine founded and copiously cherished and guarded.

OUR HUMBLE MESSAGE to all who believed, and still believe, in Cllr Charles Walker Brumskine and what he might have done to them personally and the nation at large is this: Uphold his cherished legacy, and don’t contradict and muddy his ideals. He was a loving father. He was a patriotic Liberian. He fought for justice, equality and fairness for all. If there is anything anyone can do to demonstrate adherence to the social, economic and political ideals of that fine legal luminary, it is to uphold those virtues that he stood for and fought for so passionately.

QUITE DISTURBINGLY, THE budding division and infighting in the Political Vehicle of Cllr Brumskine, the Liberty Party, does not show any inkling of commitment to the Brumskine ideals and legacy. It is our certain knowledge that the divisions and hates are widening amongst partisans, mainly between two groups, over the recent adoption of the new Constitution of the Party. It is said that the Constitution which was discussed and adopted by the National Executive Committee (NEC) recently, expressly intended to “rebrand” the party, falls short of broader consultation and approbation by the masses of the partisans. Sources contend that some high-ups in the party, who feel unaccountable to their peers and even the ordinary partisans, summarily passed on the new Constitution without submission to popular scrutiny at a Special Convention that is slated for December 2020.

THOSE WHO CLOSELY followed the founder and principal driver of the Liberty Party would recall that Cllr Brumskine was not a parochial person. The battles he fought and won were primarily for the cause of the ordinary partisans. He would always caution the elites never to trample upon the masses but to mainstream their plights and agonies into everyday struggle they had to fight. Certainly, if Cllr. Brumskine were alive, he would insist and ensure that the Constitution of the Liberty Party is for all partisans and not a single line of it should be amended and adopted without broader consultation, popular participation and wider acceptability.

WHILE WE ARE NONPARTISANS and don’t want to sound like a member of the Liberty Party, we, as longtime followers of, and reporters on, the fallen founder of the party, and knowing what fair play is all about, we cannot afford not to turn the other way why internal democracy is being stifled and the legacy of the Standard-Bearer Emeritus is being ruined.

LIKE ANY OPPOSITION PARTY, the Liberia Party is a ruling party on standby. Bulldozing the silent majority into submission, trampling over their rights to participate in how their party’s new constitutional should look sends out bad signs. If the post-Brumskine hierarchy of the Liberty Party does not respect and recognize the right of its ordinary partisans to have a say in how their party should run, then what is the assurance that they would not be dictatorial when elected as a ruling party.

SURELY, IF THERE IS anything that should excite the conscience of the Liberty Party, particularly individuals in the echelon of its leadership, to gingerly uphold the legacy of Cllr Brumskine, that thing should be the first anniversary observance of his death today—November 20. As he was not given to bigotry and intolerance, a virtue he lived for and imbued into those who followed him, so should those replacing him in authority at the party be. The concerns of ordinary partisans are shedding at this moment, may not necessarily be that the learned Counselor had left them; for everyone knows that a man that is born today may die tomorrow. But sorrow of it all is that the bulk of the people don’t see within the party a crops of competent heirs to the Throne—leaders that would do as Cllr Brumskine did—caring for the rights of all, both bigshots and ordinary partisans.

THE DIE IS CAST to see if the concerns of today will hammer some sense into the hearts of the party leadership as to take the new Constitution to the pending December mini convention so that all will have the opportunity and enjoy the right to discuss, accept and adopt their party’s Constitution. That will be the biggest and genuine demonstration of goodwill towards upholding the Brumskine legacy.